Duly Quoted: Bill Blair

Bill Blair:“Again, I’m not going to comment on this or any other investigation. We will do our work, we will present our evidence in the appropriate forum. The truth will come out.

Galloway: Yesterday you could have very easily exonerated Rob Ford—you could have explicitly said the mayor has nothing to do with the investigation we’re involved in right now. Why didn’t you do that?

Blair:I’m unable to answer your question without violating the terms of the law and the spirit of the law. All of the information, all of the evidence we have collected…will be properly disclosed in a court of law.

—Toronto police chief Bill Blair on CBC’s Metro Morning, commenting on yesterday’s major police action in the neighbourhood where Rob Ford allegedly smoked crack cocaine. Blair emphasized that he was distinguishing between serving the public interest (trying to get guns and drugs off the streets and keep a neighbourhood safe) and the interest of the public (namely persistent questions about whether Rob Ford has a substance abuse problem or is other otherwise involved in illicit activity). As a Torontonian he is concerned about the toll the crack allegations are taking on the city and its reputation, Blair said, but as police chief he needs to follow due process and refrain from “indulging myself in hypotheticals or speculation.”